Francesca Refsum Jensenius

Francesca Refsum Jensenius is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Oslo, specializing in comparative politics, comparative political economy, gender and politics, and research methods with a regional focus on South Asia. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (2013), an MA from Duke University (2007), and a BA from the University of Oslo (2005).

Her research examines how institutional design and electoral dynamics influence social and political inequalities. Notable work includes studying the long-term effects of electoral quotas for India’s Scheduled Castes in her book Social Justice through Inclusion (Oxford University Press, 2017) and analyzing the resilience of partisanship in India’s fragmented political landscape. She is affiliated with the Centre for South Asian Democracy (CSAD) and the Comparative Institutions and Regimes (CIR) research group.

Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical evidence, challenging stereotypes about Indian voter behavior and emphasizing the role of ideology alongside group-based motivations. She collaborates with global researchers on topics ranging from gender quotas to electoral mobilization, contributing to debates on democratic stability and institutional effectiveness.